http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9715&Itemid=59
By Tom Ivan
The Byron Review, which has been examining the risks to young people from exposure to violent videogames and the internet since late last year, will be published this Thursday. It has been widely rumored that, following its publication, the UK government will seek to introduce a new legally enforceable classification system for games, perhaps run by a unified body, as opposed to the current shared system.
As it stands, under the Video Recordings Act most videogames are exempt from classification by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) unless “they depict, to any significant extent, gross violence against humans or animals, human sexual activity, human urinary or excretory functions or genital organs, or techniques likely to be useful in the commission of offences.” Games that retain their exemption are classified using the Pan European Game Information (PEGI) system, a voluntary system in which the ratings are carried out by members of the games industry itself.
Next-Gen quizzed GAME UK and Ireland operations director Robert Quinn and Gian Luzio, Play.com’s head of games, about the effectiveness of the current shared ratings system.
“As more and more customers start buying games for the first time, it’s important that we can give them clear advice about the content of each game, so they can choose titles that will give them the most suitable entertainment,” said Quinn. “It’s important for customers to understand age ratings, and it’s essential that retailers understand and enforce them.
“Clearly with two age rating systems in place there is more to explain to customers, and in principle we would welcome a move to update the age rating system to make it easier for customers to understand.
"But,” he continued, “we believe that the existing regulations from PEGI and the BBFC are among the most rigorous in Europe, and we support them fully. Both systems already help us give customers clear advice about which game will give them the most enjoyment.”
Luzio also threw his support behind both classification systems, although he expressed a fondness for PEGI’s application of logos that point towards a game’s content.
“Both systems have their merits,” he said. “I think they’re both perfectly valid so I don’t see any need for them to change. I can’t see that a unified system would be any better or worse.
“I particularly like the PEGI system for depicting the different levels of violence and what exactly is going on in the game. I think that that is very clear to parents, where as I feel the BBFC is very rigid in that it’s just the age and the age only. The BBFC system doesn’t give an indication as to what the product contains and why it’s that age rating, so I think there are areas in which the BBFC system could be improved, but it’s also very simple so that’s possibly an advantage.”
A Guardian report last month suggested that education and culture ministers already had a sense of the Byron Review’s direction and how it would be used to reshape regulatory guidelines. It also said that ministers are likely to advise parents to keep computers and games consoles in view of carers and away from the bedrooms of children, while details of “blocking mechanisms” limiting access to unsuitable games, emails or internet sites are expected to be announced. But will such restrictions and the sensationalist press that’s bound to emerge following the publication of the review hurt game sales?
“I fully welcome the review and the fact that the government is taking an interest in the gaming community and I don’t think it will have a negative impact on sales,” says Luzio.
And would either of the retailers, in the face of a new classification system, be prepared to reorganize their in-store or online product layouts by game ratings in order to make purchasing decisions more transparent, perhaps by having distinctly separate family and mature games sections?
“Our store layouts are designed to help customers to easily find the products that they want,” said Quinn. “In our experience, the best and most failsafe way to ensure that customers are aware of the content of a game is to display a clear age rating emblem on the product itself.
“More than 80% of our customers are over 18. They expect us, as a specialist videogames retailer, to offer a wide choice of titles backed up by clear advice on the content of a game and robust procedures to ensure that age classifications are strictly followed.”
Luzio added, “We already have all of the ratings listed against games that are on the site. We won’t veer people necessarily in one direction or another although we already have a family section on Play.com.”
Quinn also noted that one of the simplest means of preventing unsuitable games from falling into the hands of underage children is to properly train staff.
“Our staff are experienced specialists who can give customers detailed advice and recommendations about which games will suit them best. We give them a lot of training for this, including how to give non gamers simple advice, and on the legal responsibilities of serving age rated games.”
While mature customers aren’t asked whether they’re purchasing games for themselves or for minors as it’s not a Video Standards Council (VSC) procedure, GAME’s electronic tills do prompt staff to check a customer’s age when they process 15, 16 or 18 rated games. “Should a transaction be refused due to a customer being underage, a record is logged automatically on a database at GAME head office,” said Quinn. Every new member of staff is also given “thorough VSC training and refresher training is given every three months.
“The industry has benefited from rapid expansion in the last ten years, and in general our products have become much more appealing to the mass market. It’s likely that there will always be controversial games - just like there are still controversial movies, TV, music and books - so it’s our job to make sure that we sell games responsibly with strict procedures in place to ensure minors don’t buy age rated products.”
HMV and Woolworths were both invited to contribute to this report. While HMV declined, Woolworths offered Next-Gen the following statement.
“As a retailer we will rigorously enforce any new laws / regulations that are passed with regard to videogames, and indeed any product we sell. We currently have robust processes in place to support the current system and we’ll develop new ones to make sure we comply with whatever new laws may be brought in. We like to be clear on issues like this because we are not a regulator and therefore we fully support bodies that are and will fulfill any obligations that they may put on us for the good of the public and our customers.”
